Welcome to the Gospel to Haiti Clinic Blog!
We are located in the beautiful mountainous terrain of rural southern Haiti, and our clinic serves its small community in many ways. These pictures and comments are about individual people whose lives we have been able to touch in some way. Look through the compassionate eyes of Christ, and pray for them...

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

From the vantage point of the clinic roof, this is what could be seen yesterday mid morning. A stretcher was carried in with a pregnant lady who was seizing.

As we gathered more information, we learned that she was a 17 or 18 year old young lady who was around 8 months pregnant. She quite obviously had eclampsia. She had been seizing since early that morning.

We quickly took blood pressure, checked oxygen saturation, and started monitoring her. It wasn't long until she was having another seizure. We shortly had them move the stretcher so we could get her on oxygen.

She stayed on oxygen, and we continued to monitor her oxygen saturation.

It was obvious that we needed to take her to T-Goave, but we had some hurtles to deal with before we could set out. After Hurricane Sandy went through last week our trail was again rendered impassable by anything but motorcycles and ATVs. Even the Bobcat/Gator machines couldn't go through. We tried making phone calls to see if we could have someone come up from T-Goave and pick up our patient on the other side of the blocked areas, but our cell service was out, too. Finally we decided that we needed to leave, and they'd have to carry her again when we got to the landslide if no one could meet us.

So we set off, and sent a few men ahead on a moto to meet us and help carry the stretcher later on. About half an hour into our trip we had to stop for a bit as she had another seizure. When she'd have a seizure, I'd turn the oxygen up a little.

Finally we arrived at the landslide. Then came the fun part as we tried to convince them that NO we wouldn't try going over the landslide.

Here is the landslide just in front of us, and a work crew was working on it.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

It's Friday! I walk out the gate and say "Good-morning" to Grandpa Harold.
"Are you ready for another busy day?" he wonders.
I tell him I hope I am.
"Ready or not, it's coming," he jokes.
And it did. I walked over to the clinic and Fre Adolph is already there passing out numbers to the waiting people. He seems a little tired. Maybe he is thinking, "Where are Noes and Direk?" Because they aren't there yet.
We start off our day with singing "Amazing Grace" in Creole. I don't help though. I am watching Mis Anita bandage up the hip abscess guy, and I like to see how she stuffs the drain in the wound. Then Noes leads the waiting patients in prayer. I can help with that. It works just as well in English. Plus I think we might need the prayers.
I had a fun morning doing my usual blood pressures and wrapping up a couple bandages between rounds of people. We have our little laughs together when some of the patients have a mind of their own. Direk says a long string of unrepeatable Creole and usually the person straightens up and behaves themselves. If not, Adolph says a few more muttery somethings. By this time Noes has wandered in from the hallway. He tells the person to "Sit down, or Go Outside," or whatever, and when they finally get the point, everyone rolls their eyes and laughs. After a sigh, Nes walks outside to see how many people are left to see today.

This time there are a nice amount of patients waiting outside yet at noon.

Adolph and Direk holding up #71!

Even busy days end at clinic. By around 1:30 Direk and Adolph added up the totals for the day and happily held up number 71. I'd say, "Good job, Team! Enjoy your week-end. Because hard telling, Monday might be a busy day, too, ready or not."

Friday, October 19, 2012

This morning we were very happy to send our malaria patient on her way. After 4 liters of fluid, IV and 3 doses of chloroquine, she was in much better shape. It's always so encouraging to see progress.

Good-morning! With coffee behind us, it's time to unlock the gate and face another morning at the clinic.
Yesterday was an interesting day, with some twists to it. We started off with our re-bandaging patients, and then swung into the day. Thankfully, they looked pretty good, and we even sent the one man home with supplies to bandage his own foot for a day. He seemed almost pleased with the idea, so I hope he does a good job at keeping it clean until we see him again.
About mid-morning I was doing blood pressures and noticed a rather limp looking woman with a baby. The man who was helping her move from chair to chair in the waiting room tried to talk to me, but I didn't ever quite figure out what he was saying. Later on, this same lady landed in our bed in the hospital room. Her blood pressure was quite low and she needed rehydrated with IV. Anita thinks she might have malaria. The baby seems to be fine as long as they remember to feed it.

The lady with malaria and her baby

A bit later on, a girl who looked about seven came in with a nice slice above her eye, in contour with her eyebrow. She smiled sweetly at me as I grabbed some Iodine and began to clean out the stony grit and stuff from the cut. She was pretty brave until Mis Leda actually started to prep her for some stitches. She had her face basically covered with the Sterile Paper from the glove, so I don't think it was that she was seeing the needle, but she began to show her personality. Another wise nurse asked the mom to sit in the hall. It seemed like she was "hurting" about as bad as the child, and making some amazing faces, though not as much noise as her daughter.

Mis Rhoda assisting Mis Leda as they stitch the little girl

After two pieces of candy, about six stitches, and a band-aid,

we got at least a slight hint of a smile from the little girl and told her good-bye.

Another lady appeared with friends who said that she was vomiting blood. The nurses helped her to the other bed in the hospital room and prescribed some meds. She spent the night at a neighbor's house to give her time to stabilize. Maybe it sounds like a stomach ulcer? We thought we heard some of her friends singing to her when we went out to change the IV in the hospital room at dark.

Efadel seemed to be chipper today. He was sitting outside when we closed down clinic and grinned at the silly Band-Aid when I stuck it on his leg. We grabbed some pictures of him again just for fun.

Mis Anita and Efadel

Thankfully, our day was a good one. I looked back and thought about the lady waiting for a consultation, who decided it was time for a nap. I don't blame her. It does take patience until it's your turn to receive attention around here. Most times, with a few good laughs from the Haitians and a couple apologies from the rest of us, they all accept it as part of a day. So we try to do so, too!:)

Friday, October 12, 2012

On Wed evening we had a young mother come to the clinic in labor. She was 20 years old, and it was her first baby. We always keep more on the alert for a first time mom. In some cases there would be complications and we would need to take them out for more advanced care. Things looked good for Cathie except that her blood pressure was a little high, but we were able to treat it. She seemed to be progressing well.

Labor slacked off over night, but we continued to monitor her. By Thurs afternoon things weren't really progressing anymore so we decided to intervene with oxytocin. Labor still progressed fairly slowly. Toward the end baby's heart tones were slower so we were concerned about the baby being in distress. By 9:10 pm Thurs, the baby was finally born. It was a whopping baby boy of 8 lbs 9 ozs. That's big for a Haitian baby and especially a first time mom.

Once he was born he only gasped for breath a few times, but didn't start breathing. We right away started stimulating but to no avail so we quickly moved to the next stage--breaths with oxygen. Before too long he was attempting more breaths on his own. Thankfully he had a strong heart beat so we didn't need to do compression too. I did use the suction and suctioned down pretty deep which seemed to help. After he was breathing well on his own, we kept him on blow-by oxygen still for a while.

Here is was finally off the oxygen and holding his own well with oxygen saturation of 95!

Mis Virginia, Mis Rhoda, and Mis Anita with baby!

For those of you who know Fre Adolph who works at the clinic this is his first grandchild.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

This is a little girl who came to the clinic with a bad burn covering a large portion of her abdomen and smaller burns other places on her body. Mis Leda saw her first and had several follow-up visits with her. As time when on, it seemed to possibly have done internal damage or be starting to get an internal infection. We then decided to send her out for further treatment. I haven't heard more on it since then.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Eifadel is progressing slowly, but he is progressing! He now often gives a bright smile as I enter the hospital room. I had hoped he'd have gone home by now, but even though the worse spot has improved greatly, his left knee is still quite sore and swollen. I think if we could have kept him on the medicine we had him on originally, he probably would have recovered fast. Since he was allergic to them and would have likely been allergic to penicillins as well, we opted for the second best instead of running the chance of another allergic reaction.

Friday, October 5, 2012

"Knock! Knock! Wake up Nurse Anita!"
So, Nurse Anita does. She walks up to the gate expecting to assist a lady to the clinic. But she is surprised. The lady is smiling.
"While I was knocking the baby came." she explains easily.
This is the start to our Friday. It is about 6:30 when I join Nurse Anita in the clinic. It is mostly quiet.There is one patient resting in the hospital room as I walk by. I did not stop. He is still resting.
I look for the baby. He is adorably sweet. He still needs bathed and Nurse Anita tells me I can have the job. It is a good way to begin a day. The sturdy mother sits over in the chair to the side, clucking to herself when I fuss over the cute baby. Does she actually know what I am saying? She seems to, because she smiles and smiles.
And after we have grabbed a few pictures and wrapped him up in some clothing huge to his proportions, she jumps up. In her arms is her new treasure. She seems proud and full of energy. Before her daughter who accompanied her knows what is happening, she sails out the door and begins her walk home, where ever that is. I go to the entry and stare after her dumbfounded. Did she just have that baby? Or did she not?!! Maybe it's worth having a baby if they come that easy and that cute, what do you say?

Here is the cute little guy!

The older sister baby and mother

Nurse Anita and I go for some coffee and try to finish waking up. Before we begin clinic, Nurse Anita unclogs my eardrum so I can hear. It hurt pretty bad, but at least it will get better now. I forgot to ask for the bill.
For me, the normal has become checking people's temperatures and taking their blood pressure. After that is done they will wait until a nurse calls them into her room. I am glad they all look at each other, because that makes less talking for me to do. I can usually survive on one or two words and they kind of figure out the rest. Sometimes they go on big rows of words, explaining their malady. I usually nod sympathetically and they eventually catch on that I'm not very helpful to their problem.
Meanwhile the real nurses are busy checking people's bandaged wounds, giving out blood pressure medication, or prescribing medication for other illnesses. The Creole words sail out of their mouths like so many butterflies.

I find little things to do when I am caught up with the line of patients waiting for consultations. Sometimes I cut gauze or chop up small squares of gauze to make alcohol swabs. I do that in English, because it is one job that doesn't matter which language you do it in.
When I decide my hands are too germy, I go to the jugs at the sink and pour water over them. I can hardly wait until we get moved to the new clinic where we will have running water.
Sometime between noon and three o'clock, we will probably walk out of the clinic, with its white tarp dividing walls into the fresh air. By now, we pretty much like the thought of food, and hope that no one knocks at the clinic gate for a while.
But don't relax too much, this might just be a day when someone gets a rock thrown at their head, or a baby decides it's his birthday, and you will unlock those doors and roll your eyes as you laugh at the unpredictable turn of events. Haiti?! Yes!

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

You all were promised an update on the births that we had
last week, here it finally is!

Tuesday we had a girl come into the clinic in labor. She had a while to go, so we gave her a bed,
and kept tabs on her throughout the day.
In the afternoon, another girl came in, very close to delivering. I was responsible for the births as Anita had
other things going. The second mom
progressed steadily and delivered a whopping 8lb 12oz baby boy. He is a really cute little buster, and his
mom and uncles and aunt were so proud of him.
I don’t think the little guy has a dad that claims him. It is so sad how many babies are that
way.

We were getting ready to take the first lady out to Leogane,
her blood pressure was rising, she was pre-eclamptic, terribly anemic, and not
progressing the way we thought she should be for the contractions she was
having. I had checked her right before
the little boy was born, and she still had a ways to go before delivery- I
thought! Anita was over in the hospital
room taking care of the boy with the leg infection, and she hollered “The baby
is here, bring me a bulb syringe!” So
Michael and I ran out and there lay a tiny little girl, 5lb 6oz, not
breathing. Michael grabbed her up and
started smacking her feet and rubbing her briskly while I hooked up the
oxygen. Her heart was beating but she didn't want to breathe. We ventilated
her and shortly she took off on her own.
She was very sluggish though; I’m a little bit worried about her brain, because
she seemed to be early. The mom had no
milk, so we gave the baby some formula and sent her home the next morning with
more. I haven’t heard back from them, I
hope they are well.

The little boy I saw again today when the mom came in for a
checkup. He is so cute and big. He has gained a whole pound in one week! I think he will grow up into a big man, I just pray he is a big man for
God. I always wish that I could raise
the babies I deliver, so that they grow up knowing of God and influenced by
righteousness.

The next morning I got out to clinic, and found that Anita
and Breanna had delivered a little boy already.
They both were leaving that day, Breanna to go home for a few weeks, and
Anita for just a few days in town. So I
was glad that they took time to do that birth!

Thursday morning I was called at 7:20 by knocking at the gate, and there was ANOTHER lady
in labor. I checked her out and she had
a ways to go. So I went back to the
house to get breakfast and get ready for clinic; at 8:40 someone came running saying the baby was born outside
on the ground. I jumped and ran, and
sure enough, a little girl was wrapped in a sheet yelling quite lustily! The mom had gone out to go to the bathroom….
at least the baby was healthy. She had
had 2 children already, and sometimes, things can go really fast!

That made 4 babies in 39 hours. I was praying there wouldn't be anymore for a
while. There wasn't- till today. This afternoon a 17 year old girl came in;
she had come two weeks ago and was disappointed when Anita told her she wasn't in labor and needed to go back home and wait awhile!

Baby #1.

Someone said this little fellow has a big mouth? (I'm just glad he was using it!)

Devon Cooper helping clean him up. She was here on a team.

Happy mommy, cozy baby.

Baby #2

Michael was keeping her warm until she could come off the oxygen.

We were so glad she was ok after being on oxygen for just a short time!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

When the clinic staff's birthdays come around, we try to make it special. This week it was Direk. (He's the one that takes down basic information on the medical charts for patients, and he collects the payment for treatment.) We keep it simple, but they really enjoy the "party"!

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It's our heart's desire that, as you see the needs and responses to them displayed on these pages, YOUR heart would be stirred to carry the loving compassion of Jesus Christ to your circle of influence. There are hurting people all around each one of us; are you willing to take the challenge? God bless you for your interest in this mission, please pray that many lives would be touched and healed for Christ's Kingdom as they are comforted physically here...